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Can you go 24 hours without screens? Contestants in Hope, B.C., will try

Organizers hope to ‘turn back the tide’ on overuse of screens among residents
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A woman uses her smart phone as apps are shown on an iPad in Mississauga, Ont. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)

Could you survive 24 hours without on-screen entertainment?

That means no cellphones, televisions, laptops or tablets. No gaming. No online chatting. No streaming movies.

A 24-hour screen time challenge, in the style of the popular show Amazing Race, is being planned for Hope residents. The event will take place Friday, Jan. 31 to Saturday, Feb. 1. Various events will be offered around the community beginning on the Friday afternoon.

Teams of up to six people will solve clues and complete various low cost or free tasks in and around Hope — all without the help of on-screen technology.

Anne Todd, chair of the “Amazingest Race” planning subcommittee says teams “will have to survive with their wits and a paper map.”

“In a few short years, we have grown increasingly attached to our technology,” she says. “Too much recreational screen time impacts relationships, sleep patterns, activity levels and is linked to symptoms of depression of anxiety, especially in children.”

READ MORE: Study links preschool screen time to behavioural and attention problems

The screen challenge is just one of several events the committee will be holding in January and February, in an effort to “turn back the tide a bit.”

Each team is going to be assigned a neutral person who will verify completion of the tasks, ensure rules are followed, and carry some of the supplies that will be needed.

To make the event a success, the committee is now looking for team sponsorship and prizes for the winners and runners up. Team sponsorship involves providing branded swag for the team, providing a team liaison as the neutral support person, and could even include offering a corporate vehicle for the team you support.

For more information about how to sponsor, and how to enter, the screen free challenge, contact Anne at 604-217-3111 or email anne.todd@fraserhealth.ca.

READ MORE: Too much time on social media can hurt teens’ mental health: study


 

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Jessica Peters

About the Author: Jessica Peters

I began my career in 1999, covering communities across the Fraser Valley ever since.
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